Linezolid vancomycin resistant Enterococcus isolated from clinical samples in Tehran hospitals.

BACKGROUND Vancomycin-resistant enterococci pose an emerging health risk. The limitation in therapeutic options has resulted in the development of new drugs such as quinupristin/ dalfopristin and linezolid. AIM, SETTING AND DESIGN: This study investigated the species prevalence and antibacterial resistance among enterococci isolated in selected Tehran hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between March 2006 and August 2007, 200 enterococcal isolates from urine, blood, stool and wound were recovered in 2 teaching hospitals of Tehran province. Susceptibility of all isolates was tested against vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid antibiotics by disk diffusion and agar dilution method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Seventeen (8.5%), 6 (3%) and 4 (2%) of the isolates were resistant to vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid, respectively. Within the vancomycin-resistant isolates, 6 (35.2%), 4 (25%) and 1 (5.88%) showed vanA, vanB and vanC genotype patterns, respectively. Four (23.5%) of VRE isolates were resistant to linezolid with minimum inhibitory concentrations between 16 and 32 microg/mL. Two linezolid vancomycin resistant enterococci were E. faecium.